Greetings in the “Name above all names”, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! What a beautiful Friday morning! and the start of a weekend. I trust that you had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend…especially getting together with your Christian family to praise, pray, proclaim, and “party” (fellowship – I just had to have another “p” word there). Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to encourage you in your daily walk and to allow you to experience His presence through the Holy Spirit.
If my numbers are right, I have completed four weeks of being under “house-arrest” (other than a walk or two to the mailbox and two appointments) — and it isn’t easy. I know, I know — God is trying to teach me lessons in preparation for a future assignment,but somehow that is not what I want to hear. I am going to have to careful when passing out advice to other people in future days. In keeping with the theme of the blogs over the past week, let me say that I have – repented, surrendered, and died to many things. Oh! you thought I was just writing to you…No! Today, in an email devotion God spoke of another process that was going on – BROKENNESS.
I have talked about this word with others and even shared what I thought were good insights but I missed so much, or maybe I wasn’t in the place where I had credibility to do so. “Brokenness is empty-handedness before God” says James MacDonald, “it is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. It says not only “God, I need You,” but “God, You are all I need”.” I believe that is what I have learned…and am learning at this time.
There are four particular things that God needed to break in my life: Stubbornness – I’m going to do this my way ; Pride – I know better, I am better ; Willfulness – You can’t make me, You can’t tell what to do, I’ll do what I want-when I want ; Independence – I can make it without You. These, of course, are not a one time experiences, but part of the on-going “spiritual fitness plan” that God uses to bring us close to Him. Remember, God is so excited about Jesus that He wants everybody to be like Him…repentance, surrender, dying to self, and brokenness. I am reminded by James MacDonald that God really does love me, not with a “pampering-love” but with a “perfecting-love”.
Something to think about – Have a great weekend and be blessed!